Clothes-pounder for washing-machines.



W. L. ROBERTS. CLOTHES POUNDER FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 1113.22, 1909.

Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

, UNITE WILLIAM L. ROBERTS, OF FREDONIA, I 'ENNSYLVANIA.

CLOTHES-POUNDEB FOR WASHING-MACHINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM L. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fredonia, in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Clothes-Founder for lVashingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clothes pounders for use in connection with washing machines and the like and its object is to provide a device of this character which will operate to quickly clean the fabrics upon which it is used, the pounder being so constructed as to produce a circulation of water through the fabrics during both strokes of the pounder.

Another object is to provide a pounder having combined therewith a yielding presser-plate.

\Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the pounder. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof, portions of the pounder being broken away.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the outer frusto-conical shell of the pounder, the same being preferably formed of sheet metal and having its large or open end surrounded by an annular flange 2, while its closed end is provided with a reinforcing head 3 of wood or other suitable material, said head surrounding a tube 4 which extends from the center of the closed end of the shell and is designed to receive the handle 5 of the pounder. Openings 6 extend through the head 3 and register with corresponding openings 7 formed in the closed end of the shell.

Arranged concentrically within the shell 1. is an inner frusto-conical member 8, the large or open end of which is preferably provided with an annular flange 9 disposed in the same plane with the flange 2. The upper or closed end of this member 8 is spaced from the corresponding end of the shell 1 by means of a disk 10 and a reinforcing plate 11 is arranged upon the lower or inner face of the closed end of the member Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 22, 1909.

Patented Mar. 22, 1910.

Serial No. 484,960.

8 and is secured thereto by means of screws 12 extending through the shell 1 and member S and into the head 3. A screw 13 is also arranged within the centers of the member S and shell 1 and projects through the spacing disk 10 and into the handle 5, said screw thus serving to hold the handle and the remaining parts of the pounder securely together. Openings 14 are formed within the reinforcing plate 11 and the closed end of the member 8 and register or aline with the openings 6 and 7 heretofore referred to. The screws 12 engage the inner ends of spring strips 15, the outer ends of which are secured to the inner face of a resser-plate 16 which is preferably circular. This plate is normally disposed in the same plane with the flanges 2 and 9, but, when subjected to resistance, is designed to move back into the number 8, the spring 15 however serving to promptly return the plate to its normal position after the removal of such resistance.

In using the pounder herein described the same is pressed downwardly against the fabrics contained in a tub or other water-containing receptacle and the flanges 2 and 9 and the presser-plate 16 bear upon the fabrics while the air contained within the shell 1 and the member 8 is expelled therefrom through the openings 14;, 7 and 6, thus permitting water to pass through the fabrics and into the member 8 and the shell 1. At the same time the presser-plate 16 will be pushed upwardly into the member 8 and against the action of said springs 15. During the reverse stroke of the pounder the fabrics momentarily cling to the shell and the member 8 as a result of the partial vacuum produced therein, and while thus clinging the water contained within the pounder passes back through the fabrics. At the same time the presser-plate 16 operates to push the fabrics outwardly so as to increase the partial vacuum produced during this return stroke, it being impossible for the air to enter the pounder through the openings 6 with suflicient rapidity to promptly displace the water leaving the pounder.

It is of course to be understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. A clothes-pounder comprising inner and outer hollow members spaced apart annularly and at their upper ends and open at one end, each member having an air vent at its other end, an annular flange upon the open end of each member, connections between the members, a presser-plate, said plate and flanges being normally disposed in the same plane, and springs connected to the marginal portion of the presser plate and to the inner hollow member for yield ingly holding said plate normally in a predetermined position.

2. A clothes pounder comprising inner and outer hollow members spaced apart annularly and at their upper ends, there being registering vents within said upper ends,

said hollow members being open at their lower ends, a presser plate within and spaced from the open end of the inner member, springs connecting the marginal portion of the presser plate with the closed end of the inner member and annular flanges upon the lower ends of the outer and inner members, said flanges and the presser plate being normally disposed in the same plane.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

L. ROBERTS. lVitnesses:

S. T. BORLAND, E. M. CORNELL, Jr. 

